NEW BLOG!

5.dec.05

thank goodness for Tony Romo- for the Cowboys fans he is heaven sent, and a far too late but more than adequate replacement for Troy Aikman. Sorry if you're not a football fan, however i am a dallas girl, thus a born Cowboys fan, and have an emotional vested interest in the fate of the 'boys every winter. now they are definitely worth watching- America's Team returns! ON the bike front, not much. I have been a little under the weather for over a week, and off the bike. Muscle atrophy has set in, that soreness you get from not working out- much worse than being sore from working out too hard. you know what i mean. you feel a sloth, a slug, then you eat Thanksgiving dinner. Being a little under the weather wanes my appetite a little... tomorrow i will ride! I spent Thanksgiving on the ranch with my 'rents, grandma and fam. It was a great time getting to reconnect with family. you never know how much you miss your family until you see them as you deplane. it's so easy to take people for granted when you don't see them enough, and i hate doing that. don't hesitate, friends, to make that call. just say hello if nothing else. in this day and age of families living so far away from each other, it i more important then ever to keep those connections open and growing. i am in the DFW airport, and waiting for my flight, First Class (thanks Dad!) back to LAX. We've come a long way in the past few years. DFW in its entirety is a t-mobile hotspot. i can be online anywhere in the airport anytime. With iPod earbuds in, laptop online, and mobile phone by my side i am in business. i'll talk to you all when i return... for anyone looking for clinics, lessons, coaching, etc, now is the time to get it going on! have a safe holiday weekend, and we'll talk soon!
namaste
-tonya  

11.nov.06
Mountain Bike Vacation :: Palm Springs!
When you think of a mountain bike vacation, you may not automatically think of Palm Springs, but I guarantee that it is a possibility, and fun will be had. Last week, my boyfriend took me to Palm Springs for a quick vaca in the desert. We rode, we shopped, we dined. It was the modernist mountain bikers dream vacation.
We arrived late in the afternoon to the Desert Villas in Palm Desert, where you can take your bikes into the rooms, which was a key deciding factor in our lodging choice. For dinner we enjoyed teriyaki and sushi at a local Japanese restaurant. In the morning, i made blueberry pancakes and coffee to fuel our epic "ride" of the day. We packed up went to the LBS (local bike shop) and got some beta on the local ride we were considering. We were assured if we tackled this hike-a-bike, we'd be happy in the end, for the downhill would be amazing. Not the best riding in Palm Springs, but close to it. Done. Goat Trails it would be. Captain Cannondale painstakingly studied the map and asked question upon question as i browsed the racks of clothing. Experience told him to gather all the information needed and more to avert disaster or a potentially epic ride out of a ride in the park. After he felt confident in the route, we headed to the trailhead. At the trailhead we met a group of guys who were incredibly hyper from their ride. You never know what to expect, whether someone rides the same as you or whether they are the same level of fitness as you, so the more information you get from more people, usually the better. We asked a few quetions, and it sounded difficult, but we motored on. We navigated our way around the Goat Trails, not getting lost yet, but realizing we could be in for an epic, we decided to take the hike a bike. It was a looming mountain of trails pointing to the cloudless heavens above. Neither one of us wanted to be the party pooper, i think, so we trudged ahead, pushing our bikes. I kept thinking about the amazing ride ahead. Walk, one foot in front of the other, walk. At some point intuition sets in, and you realize this could have been a mistake, but you trudge forward. The day was young, the sun was hot and dry, but we had water and snacks. At the top of the hike a bike, which we agreed was not nearly as bad as we anticipated, we rested, took some photos of the amazing scenery, ate and remounted our trusty Cannondales. Pedaling on... we rode and rode, loose, rocky and technical until we reached the final peak. Not very rideable. We rode and pushed to the top, where we stopped briefly to don our gear since the other side of the peak looked as if it dropped off into nothing. I was slightly apprehensive, we were duly warned of the unrideability of some of the switchbacks, the exposure, and took care as we plummetted over the edge of the sharp ridge. Our fears were sidelined once we picked up some speed. We're not the best riders in the world, but this trail is rideable. We

did have to dab a few of the switchbacks, but other than that, we were golden. We were ultimately happy we wore our gear, and even happier we didn't actually use it. Upon finishing the fast, loose, exposed and all too short descent, we had a few navigation issues, but found our way back to the main trail eventually. Mountain Biking was followed by a mountain biker's idea of fine dining: El Gallito (the chips are good, salsa not so good, but the carne asada is yum!). It's a little hole in the wall on Palm Canyon drive. Cheap and satisfying. The rest of our time was spent shopping and eating more, and just enjoying each others' company in the desert.
namaste,
-tonya

31.oct.06
happy halloween and racing
So it's Halloween... hopefully you are either going out in a costume, or at least dressing up and handing out candy to kids... make the most of it and have a great time!

I finally toed the line again this past Saturday. Standing on the start line evokes feelings i haven't felt in a very long time. The nervousness, the self doubt, the fear of the ensuing pain. But these are feelings i am apparently addicted to, as they came rushing over me i felt so comfortable and so at home. The race was the Spooky Cross of the SoCalCross series. I arrived at the race in my Cannondale Get Out & Pedal women's truck eager to demo a couple of bikes, and of course, race. It's a little warm in Socal for a cross race, but we raced nonetheless, in our shorts and short sleeves. I would be racing my first cross race in a few years, for the first time on a cross bike, and luckily, THE NICEST cross bike on the planet! the Cannondale CAAD 9 Si!!!

so we like sun, what can you do? Before the race i was visibly nervous, worried and sad. i hadn't done a single interval, or trained at high intensity in a very long time. having raced at the elite level for so many years, i know what that can mean- poor performance. I have been riding, quite a bit at that, just not training hard. Captain Cannondale was with me, and he noticed my anxiety, took me aside and said he owl be proud no matter if i was first or last, and that he knew i would do my best. i felt more relieved after that, and decided i needed to race my own race. On the gun, Amy Bowen took off hard, i squeezed my way onto her wheel riding like a pro rR acing with the big girls, racing is racing!) and so i hung on her wheel, did my little dismount, and rode on. When Amy blew out, I was leading for a short time. I soft pedaled. It is so easy to go too hard when you are in the front. i was excited, but i wanted to save my energy. My soft pedaling must have moved Coryn Rivera to agony, as she went by me on a straightaway. I stayed on her wheel best i could. This 14 year old phenom puts all us old ladies to shame. anyhow, Coryn fell in one of the nasty corners, and i jumped around her. Dorothy Wong attacked, and that attack, which i could only follow and not really pull for, blew the field apart. My legs exploded. I watched Dot and Coryn ride away, and then i watched Carolyn and Tina ride away.

Calm down... ride your own race. I Rode, i recovered i did well in the corners, and i caught Caro and Tina. I pulled a pass on Caro in one of the corners. it was an aggressive move, but i had to play to my strength, which is technical riding skills. without my skills, i would have done horribly. I began to relax. I wanted to catch Dot and Coryn ahead of me, but 15 seconds was as close as i could come. I didn't kill myself, so i could make the whole 50 minutes, i just rode my ride, railing the turns, flying on the downhills, taking water at 2 places on the course from CC. He cheered me on, and helped me immensely. As i flew around the final corner, i gave it my signature push to the line. One thing about racing- no matter what place i am in when i come to the finish, i ride as hard as i can possible ride, and leave it all out on the course. i rode to the line in 3rd, satisfied, and with a few more dollars than i came with.

it is my personal philosophy that you should give it your all, and if your all isn't good enough, it's not your fault.

namaste
tonya

25.oct.06
more socal riding
i can't wait for you all to meet mtbchick's newest artist, Lisa H. Lisa is creating some amazing art for g1gi, as well as new clothing designs for mtbchick... stay tuned for all these amazing things coming your way! I had lunch with Lisa yesterday in Topanga at the Waterlily Cafe- wonderfully delicious healthy food! And i can't wait to share with you all the excitement of our meeting!

life in socal has been great. i have been night riding without lights for the past 2 weeks, and it's crazy, fun and challenging. i used to have a light, but now i am just riding without one. i don't recommend you do this, but i suppose if you night ride at all,you've had to ride without a light at some point in your career, especially if you've ever raced a 24 hour race. To top it off, all my night rides as of late have been on my cross bike. with skinny tires and road handlebars, it couldn't be much more challenging, unless you made the cross bike a fixed gear singlespeed or something like that. hm. i've actually hit a few road rides as well recently, a bike path ride from Anaheim to Newport Beach (but keep in mind we were averaging over 20 mph on this path). So much fun riding to the beach. The weather here is cooling off, and our trees are changing. I never understood why people say Socal has no seasons. Our trees change, we have different flowers all year long, and it does actually get cold here in the morning. go out and ride your bike today.
namaste
tonya

18.oct.06
Making the Most of the Day
It is to me pertinent to make the most of every day. i have found another who believes the same. As a former pro racer, i understand the importance of riding and training with purpose every day but i have to tell you that my new way of looking at a ride, through the eye of an enthusiast, that riding can be something totally enlightening and enjoyable. I don't have to worry about my heart rate if i don't want to, i don't have to worry about time ridden, or miles pedaled or intervals completed. for me, today, riding is about enjoying life. and i have been learning how. the important part of being a cyclist is the realization of how lucky we are to have our bodies, our lives and our free time to be able to ride. in this country we worry about things too petty for the higher power. because our most basic needs are met, we must find other things to fret over. but i say, stop, and ride your bike. two wheels beneath your seat bones can make a difference for good in your life and ultimately for the world. I have been riding my 'cross bike several times per week. it has been challenging, and opened my eyes to so much more than i could see before. the blind see as it were. as i improve, i see how exciting it can be to begin to improve- just as a beginner mountain biker. you really can't believe how slow i was riding that bike down the technical singletrack at Bonelli Park. this is the kind of humbling experience every pro and instructor need to feel. And after Bonelli, mexican food- $7 for dinner for 2 (ok, this is not the great Mexican we had in Redlands, rather, a legend for really cheap mexi). a great movie before Bonelli. Hey if you haven't seen Departed (as in the faithful departed, yes think the Cranberries)- you might have to be like me and avert your eyes for some of the violence, but the not so predictable ending typical of Martin Scorcese is welcomed. i must confess, before the movie, we had sushi. Yes, it was a wonderful day- how much more can you pack into one day? does it matter as long as you are leaving a set of bike tread prints behind?

namaste

tonya

14.oct.06
so much going on
it's hard listening to stories of epics while i sit at my laptop working- tedium, boredom, and missing out on all the fun. i am an adventurer. so sitting at home while my riding partner (and boyfriend) is out riding epics is no easy task. Even though i worked at the CORBA Fat Tire Festival in BEAUTIFUL Malibu creek canyon state park today, in spite of that, i am anxious. Apparently "Captain Cannodale" and his friends had quite an adventure today, an epic worth retelling, as it were as they rode cold and snow in Kernville (an as of yet undiscovered plethora of wonderful riding).

My week, however, has been very nice. I have been getting out on my new cyclocross bike quite a bit, riding it on singletrack, rife with rocks and loose soil (thanksomuch to all the equestrians at Bonelli park who plowed all the singletrack into 10 foot wide paths, by the way). Riding from dusk into evening- me without a light, my boyfriend on his 1FG (singlespeed, a one-geared mountain bike, 1 flower powered gear, as Pixy Chick Ellen says). A cyclocross bike is a hybrid bike between a road bike and a mountain bike. I can ride fairly well up even technical climbs, but the descending has thrown me for a loop. For once i can say i struggle on the downhills. this is new for me.

ANYhow. For more about 'cross and the racing i have upcoming, check out SoCal Cross.com! It has not been easy to adjust to riding this bike on slightly technical mountain bike trails, but the challenge has been welcomed by me. It's something new, and if you happen to be bored this winter, go get you a 'cross bike and get hopping! Even if you never race, it's a great way to break up the monotony of riding the same trails over and over if that is a problem for you.  
namate
tonya

9.oct.06
Hello from SoCal
For anyone that is still out there, hello! The weather in Socal has finally cooled down; the evenings are cool and the mornings crisp. The arm and knee warmers are making their way out of summer hibernation and double jerseys are back in fashion.

I've ridden the Santa Ana River trail once before. It is on the south side of the mountains from Big Bear, between the 38 and the River. The ride is 100% singletrack, a double out and back from a midpoint with boulders to sit and eat PowerBars and Wasabi-Soy almonds with my partner ("Santa Anna River Trail" the sign says, and I imagine Santa Ana, the great Mexican general standing in drag looking like Audrey Hepburn) . I was late meeting Roy this morning, a true rarity for such a morning person and avid mountain biker. Although late, I was greeted with smiles and a hot skim mocha. All i need to get motivated in the morning, really. It's a fair drive to the trailhead, up into the mountains driving slowly with all the Angelians getting out for the day.
Now. The pre ride ritual of checking tire pressure, of donning lycra. It's soothing to me. The ride begins with a descent, technical enough to keep me awake, yet fast enough to keep my adrenaline flowing. I can only watch the Gemini and her pilot pull away from me as I bounce along on my 4" bike. I breathe, relax and flow. Feel the cool mountain air and find a common ground with the dirt and rocks- we are all made of the same molecules and i bond. Blowing back on the mountain air, my boyfriend comments, "~I don't know why anyone prefers road riding over mountain." "I don't know," I respond. I babble something about cars and pavement versus being with nature- redundant, stating the obvious, why even speak. We only road ride for the fitness and recovery. We don't mountain bike for fitness, we mountain bike because it is our life. Like eating, we cannot survive if we do not do it.
We meet only a few other riders and hikers on the trail all day. We sit at the waterfall and enjoy watching the clean water flow over mossy roacks. No one else is around. We climb, and the rhythm of the climb is soothing. At the top, we watch some kids fishing for trout. I can't watch the struggling fish as he gasps for air. I can feel how much it hurts. But the proud fisherman is so full of joy. He must fish, as I must ride. I still do not understand.
The descent back to the truck is fast and fun. I can hear Captain Cannondale from around the corners in front of me... I ride still and quiet soaking it all in. I transcend the chaos of my life and float among the dirt and rocks. I do not feel the bumps in the trail, as I have melded with the trail, liquid. I flow and love. This is my life. And to share this day with someone makes me smile from deep within.
A natural end to a long ride is of course great Mexican food. Redlands has a great place on the main street where we eat delicious treats. This must be the best carne asada I have ever tasted.

namaste
-tonya

1.apr.06
rainy day blues and pink
There is nothing better than waking up and going on a run in the cool southern cali morning. Up here in Altadena, commuters rail through the intersections making those left turns and right turns to get down the hill to the 210. Down the hill they drive as fast as they can so they can be in front of the next person sitting on the 210 for the next hour or so. Kids screeching and giggling cheering me on a i run by with my iPod.
Home again after walking off the tightness of my legs and breakfast is oatmeal. And more coffee. My super-automatic is broken, so i settle for French Press. The act of making coffee in the French Press is a ritual now. A very satisfying ritual. It's a weekday, so my roommate is already out the door to work as i stretch out and start thinking about a ride.
I have had a couple of days of the bike, so i need to go hard. Another 24 Hour race coming up. 24 Hours of Temecula with the team (Ali, Brook and myself) and one more rider i have so much respect for, Jodi Ruby. Must train hard!!
SO I go for my little El Prieto loop- it's up the steep steep climbs of Altadena and descending on El Prieto. The road climb up is steep, but the first downhill is so rewarding. It's a tight singletrack that switchbacks down in to a canyon, where you take a dirt road up and out towards Brown mtn. Then i take a left into the most fun singletrack, EP. I am flowing well with the iPod giving me a good beat to pedal by. Some day i will take pics for you to see the beautiful trail, the fun singlegtrack i ride from my front door. It is quite remarkable. While i have almost sworn off riding alone, I am loving today's ride. I feel motivated. I am having fun. This is what i like.
So the day after the ride, the double workout, yeah i am hurting. I need some recovery. I am heading of to my local salon, Bravo Salon in Pasadena. It's a new salon and it is wonderful.
But today, i am getting nails. Yep. Fake nails. Yep, Me!!!!! I know most of you who know me are most likely falling out of your chairs in disbelief. It's ok. They barely extend beyond the end of my finger. I just felt like I wanted to have uniform nails- all one length and clean looking. They recommended the gel instead of acrylic. We'll see how it goes. It's a trial. I work on bikes. How long can it last? When the nail goddess finished with my nails, I looked at them. The French manicure look, the nails did not look like mine. "It's not right, can we paint?" I ask for pink, she brings out a few samples, We look at the different shades and i opt for a light pink. I like it. So i have nails now. For the very first time in my life!!! I will keep you updated on how it goes.
So again today it rains. The rains came late this year to socal. We're getting April showers! The good news is that you can still mountain bike the sandy trails in the area, and there are a few, so it's not the end of the world for mountain biking. Besides- many hot months ahead for riding, many miles to travel to see new trails... I finihs up some work and i am headed out for another double workout day...
Have a happy day, and no the new nails, it's not an April Fool's, i promise!!!
namaste
-tonya

22.feb.06
the Pueblo Diary
24 Hour racing is becoming more fun to me as the years go by. This year's 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo in Tucson, AZ was no exception to the new rule. Here is my story... ! It's Friday, i am packing and cleaning, running to Trader Joe's, Wild Oats, Whole Foods to get food and supplies. We'll hit the regular market in Phoenix in order to pick up all the items we inadvertnetly forgot while in SoCal. I have to drive up to Hesperia to pick up my new teammate Carolyn Popvic. I run to Incycle, realize in all my packing, i never once saw my light, and realized also i must go back home to find my light. No where to be found. I can't spend all day looking for something. This is the peril of moving. Lost items. Lost items that cost over $500. DId i loan out my light? Where is it? Where did i pack it away o it wouldn't break? After going through every crate and box, i realize i may have lost it, or it's so well packed i'll never find it when i am looking so hard. I take off without my light and get on the phone- Brook, one of our new team members from Colorado, will be able to find me a light. she's that good. i am carefree. it dawns on me i have been living somewhat out of boxes for almost 8 months now. I have become so used to living this way, that it barely ever occured to me that i needed to move in somehwere. Soon. Soon i can finishmoving in. Maybe by the end of March. that is my goal. After picking Carolyn from Heperia, we head back down the hill to the 10- dealing with a few backups- fully expected. Everyone wants to get out of LA for the weekend. Once past Palm Springs, the traffic loosens a bit, and we are well on our way to Phoenix. We stop for Chipotle- the Last Supper. We enjoy tacos and burritos and chips and Eat as much as we can so as to have enough fuel for 24 hour racing. We stop at the market to pick up all the final essentials, from packaged meat to plastic forks. Water and chocolate. We're now ready. On to Tucson. At this point it's about 10 pm so we're running alittle late, and we're driving in the dark. meaning we have to arrive and try to find our cam in the dark. However, Brook has given us directions, and unlike last year, they are clear and concise. We take an unplanned short cut which turns out to be a good idea, even in the slight sprinkling of rain. We effortlessly drive to the camp, and unfurl in the base camp done- The North Face 2 meter dome. A thing of beauty- thanks to Brook, of course, and our new sponsor, The North Face. How lucky. Upon sunrise we awake, meet Ali, Brook, Ali's son Gabriel and it's time to get ready for the race. I finally get my bike together, go to do a nosewheelie, and my front brake literally doesn't work. crap. how about the rear? barely! how can i expect to bring a bike out of hibernation without needing any work? Well there is not time. maybe i can make it work for now. My first lap, incidentally was my fastest. ANyhow- we send Carolyn out on the LeMans run, and she is in first from the get-go. Not a bad way to start your first 24 hour race. but i had faith in Caro, or i wouldn't have sent her out first. Our first rotation went smoothly, and i finally found the Incycle mechanic to give my brakes a little bleed. Good thing. From then on, my brakes were perfectly dialed, and i could come to a stop if need be. As the sun began to fade and night came on, this is when i can't see at all. Ok, i am blind, and twilight is tough on my eyes. Even with my light, it's not enough to keep me from riding like a crazy lady. I manage to have a decent lap time, in spte of not being able to see very well. We're still in first. Now is when you begin to get tired. Can't eat. So i take on a few Snickers. Plenty of calories and easy to eat and won't upet the stomach. Caro's battery wen out before she even started her first lap, so she found someone to light her way, but even so her lap time wasn't too bad. Still in first. Brook and Ali have made their laps with ease and speed, and we are sitting well in first. My next lap is my bad lap. My tummy hurts. I am emotional. I am exhausted. Why didn't i train harder for this race? I can't finish another lap. I am done. I hate this racing. Why did i say i would do this? My team can do it without me. I call my boyfirend and leave him a message. i don't expect him to be awake around midnight, but i figure, who ele is going to give me any sympathy right now. at leat i can pretend someone is listening and feeling sorry for me. My lap was my worst. I felt horrible and alone. I felt sorry for myself. I felt hungry and i felt cold. the end of the world was upon me. I made it back to my tent with the knowledge i was going to have to ride again in the dark. that hit me hard. i didn't want ot be cold anymore. i didn't want to have to eat again. After a good sleep and an attitude self-adjustment, i made it to the transition tent for my next lap. my last night lap. thank the good lord hallelujah amen. I pounded out a good lap. I diced it up with another girl out there. Her light was brighter than mine, so i hung with her on her wheel for a while. but then we were passed by a guy. I heard that guy talking about his lap times in the transition tent, and i knew we were the same speed. So i decided to grab his wheel instead. I did, then i passed him. He stuck to my wheel. When we hit the singeltrack, we dropped the other lady, and we were off. At first i was bummed to have a wheel sucker attached, but then i realized, i am riding fast. so i let him stay, and i dragged him around until the final climb, when i lost him, probably in passing. i came down the final descent, off the rock drop and back to the tent. night is almost over. we still sit infirst and out lead is strengthening. it' a thing of beauty. our day laps go well. I can't remember which lap left me with a cholla piece sticking out of my ankle. how quickyly those memories fade. Anyhow- the girls were awesome. our race was seamless. Everyone did their job, which was to ride thier best. No one missed a transition. no one messed up at all. we were perfect. thank you Brook, Ali and Caro for being so amazing. It's amazing what can happen when you bring 4 amazing people together, eh? ;) anyhow. the drive home was hard. probably hardest for Brook. Caro and i spent the night inPhx, and drove in to LA monday early. Back home, back to my mod abode, back to me cool room, back to my friends. and of course, get to see tthe BF, which is a good feeling after a long, hard weekend away. Today, we ride mountain bikes at Bonelli. I am excited to get back on the bike and ride the Prophet again. namaste, tonya

24.jan.06
running around town

it's been fun getting to know the new area... Altadena/Pasadena. the best part about Altadena is being able to ride out the front door to hundreds (really!) miles of mountain biking. I can't say singletrack, we do have some amazing singeltrack here, but we have miles of climbing on fire roads. It may not sound too nice to all of you, perhaps an acquired taste, but i have grown to love the fire road climb. not only does it afford you hours of fitness building, it delivers you to some sweet and rarely touched singletrack, and if you've heard of El Prieto, that's right out my back door. Unlike Colorado or other recreational areas, the percentage of active people in the area is still relatively low, really, so you can still ride for hours without seeing another mountain biker only minutes from town. I heard something that made me giggle on the radio this morning- DJs were interviewing a band who were LA-neophytes, and they commented it didn't seem so bad here, and the DJs said uh yeah- that's our little secret. so the cat's out of the bag. most people love it here... but many don't, and that's fine.

Now i am living in a cool modern house a late 40s tract home. and shopping for furniture has been an absolute blast. Going from antique store to antique store with an era expert and finding some of the absolute coolest stuff. i can't wait to decorate my new room- in all authentic modern gear. if you think about it decorating is a lot like getting geared up for riding- you want the best bike with the right parts, all have to be compatible, right? and it has to even have the right look. function and fashion at once. it's all about design- good design works and looks good too! so much to get excited about! i am really anxious to take the Palm Springs Modern Tour- a special day is being planned around that, and i simply cannot wait!

also on tap for this week is a trip to the wind tunnel in san diego for some super secret cannondale goings on. i'll tell more when i can, but expect some big, very cool things to be coming your way from the big C!!

well for now, that's what i've been up to. look for our team introduction, we have an aMazing group of mtb chicks for 2006- and a lot of great energy to pass on to the rest of the world!
namaste
- tonya 

16.jan.06

another year, another place

birthdays are just another way to remind us how quickly time flies when you're having fun. i always find it hard to believe i have been around for more than 3 decades. yeah- "i love the 70s", "i love the 80s" and "i love the 90s" all hit home for me. you understand me if you've ever heard someone say, "i heard the best version of 'Boy of Summer' the other day, i think it was one of the ex-Eagles or someone like that, i didn't know they covered that song" . right. ok. so when young people think their favorite artist wrote and oiginally performed the song, you realize you're not the young generation anymore. but no one says you can't still feel and act like you're that young, am i right? (let the mountain bikers among you stand up and say yeeah). but the real question is why do we feel so compelled to mark time in so many ways? we could all celebrate birthdays USA Cycling style- whatever age you are on December 31st is your age for the year, so in theory, on January 1- we all turn a year older. We could just make New Year's Day everyone's birthday. no more forgetting birthdays, and there will always be a party in your honor, no matter what. ok enough about that... pedaling... yesterday i found myself on my road bike. "Does that bike actually work?" my new roommates ask. ( i am now living in Altadena/Pasadena and one of my new roomies at least temporarily is Joe Papp... and you can read his blog on cyclingnews.com). Yeah so my road bike is thrashed, has over 10,000 miles on it, and it does run, in spite of the disintigrating bar tape. I rode the requisite 3 laps at Bonelli with my friend, and as always it's mostly a talk n ride, which to me, these days, is the best kind of ride, especially when my riding partner breaks into song- happy birthday song, marilyn style, and i am floored, surprised and feel oh so special to have my own personal birthday song. But every time we crest the hill by the equestrian center- all bets are off as the sideways looks and shifting lead to an all out sprint downhill to see who can get the top speed. While i have only made it to about 44- my riding partner has made it almost to 47- the goal being if we work together we can reach 50, but it's that working together thing- it's much easier to just race and play that game of i'm shifting- oh yeah, well i am going! which leads us to my birthday breakfast, of course french toast and potatoes (carbs, anyone?) and some strong trucker-coffee. a heavenly morning. and a happy birthday. While that was the bulk and highlight of my day, my birthday dinner can't go without mention. My friends took me to the Burger Continental. yeah, the name pretty much tells you all you need to know. this is one strange restaurant. a youthful haunt of my friend Karen... she was going back after 20 years to her old highschool hangout. the menu is rife with selection- pizzas, burgers, tabouleh and baba ganouj, steak, fajitas, pita sandwiches and a salad bar to beat all others- some kind of whitefish salad, fresh fruit salad, lots of salad dressing, and soup. and honestly not much else. the huge plates they served us we only filled with 1/4 of the way because, well, appetizing was not the word that came to mind when viewing those goods. what makes the evening so special though, is the rockin' armenian music band playing the chicken dance and the belly dancer taking $1 bills in her outfit while 10 year olds glance from hamburger to half naked chick shimmying, not really sure which is more interesting, eventually ignoring the show and taking another bite of the well examined food. then off to ice cream: chocolate, chocolate, chocolate with chocolate is what i had at Baskins, and we all had our fill of being young again in our own way as we ventured out into the cold (yeah it was below 50 my friends) and back up the hill to Altadena. so that was my birthday. riding and eating. what else could a girl ask for. except to have a beautiful flower arrangement from mom dad and grandma because my mom believes every woman needs flowers on her birthday. and the roommates seem to enjoy having them around, even though they are guys. today, however the celebration continues with more birthday fun, and i'll let you know all about the room decorating shopping trip another time. and more life in Altadena soon.

namaste from another side of socal...

-tonya

2006! welcome to the new year!
yeah... it's 2006 already! i hope that everyone had the most wonderful holiday season ever, and enjoyed the company of your friends and family, and all the joy that comes along with giving and receiving wonderful gifts! it's been fun spending the holidays in socal- warm weather (ok it gets cold and we wear jackets and beanies and we turn the heat on!), palm trees and sunshine. I survived working retail albeit bike shop retail, for the holidays, and am now tkaing a hiatus from the bike shop world, at leat from that side. more details on what exactly i'll be up to this year are forthcoming... without further ado, here is what i have been up to: working in a bike shop (Incycle) and not much of anything else, which is why there hasn't been much to say. But since the new year, i am back on the program, and spent yesterday pedaling Marshall Canyon, a popular Inland Empire ride. Lots of dirt roads/double track, but one long dirt road descent and a super fun switchback/water bar descent. At the top, we throw the bikes down and take a picture. Nearly clear blue skies- you can see the valleys filled with smog, and you can see downtown LA. it's an amazing thing. so close to the city, yet among the mountain lions. i am lost, but have a good guide, so i don't worry about where i am for one. Just follow, and enjoy the ride. Just grind away, and enjoy the pain of being out of shape. It's so easy to get out of control, especially after taking so much time off the bike. I get carried away riding with my friend. His Gemini is so plush and more so than the Prophet i am riding, so i have to look ahead to keep up (ok, it's not just the bike, he's fast!). and of course i try to dice it up, get out in front, and then miss the turn, so i have to slam on the brakes, u turn and now i'm way off the back. I pedal it up hit the water bars catching long air and railing the switchbacks (the turning radius on the Prophet is amazing) and then air with a rear wheel kicker and i land on the nose... breathe deep, and it's all good, but a good scare at that. i must slow down, breathe and relax, but it's hard when the adrenaline is flowing. creek crossing- manual through to keep the front wheel out of the water, and then... riding the berms, jumping the roots, pedaling like crazy... this is why we ride. that feeling you get as if you were a child, giddy, giggling, whooping it up, vibrating with adrenaline, full of life. this is why we ride. if you don't know this feeling, go get yourself on a bike- any bike and ride. you deserve it. if you don't feel it anymore, take some time off the bike so you can. then it's grilled shrimp tacos at a local tacoeria, and back to work. which means driving- to Pasadena during the Rose Bowl no less. but as i drive, put in the hundreds of miles, i reminisce about the ride, the good food, the life that makes up my days. i wish you a wonderful ride, as full of fun and passion as mine, and a wonderful day.
namaste
-tonya